Tip-In: Second Half Swingmen

What a great game for the Raps getting ready to head into the playoffs. I thought 37 wins was going to be the ceiling for the team but they sure have exceeded my expectations.

CB4, Parker, Dixon and Joey did have good games but the point guards were a little off with their shots not falling. However maybe TJ especially will notice that when he picked it up on defence and concentrated on assist making instead of throwing up poor shots the team did well.

Sometimes I question Sam's rotations and play calling but I give him props for switching TJ to guard Ben Gordon. You can't shut down players like Gordon but TJ definitely slowed him down in the 2nd half.

Who has the easier schedule? The Raps or the Bulls? It'd be sweet if they capped off the regular season by taking #2 in the east. Already, holding #3, how sweet is this? This is just absolutely stupid crazy for a team with 27 wins last year.

ESPN's weekly power rankings (non-Hollinger) have the Raps at #5 in the L. The way they're playing, I believe that the only teams better are Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Detroit.

Was at the game, and had the perfect angle for Joey's anklebreaker move. One has to laugh.

I never liked Garbo, and I
think it's a blessing in disguise if guys like Joey (and Luuuuuuuke) can get a chance to shine in his absence. Garbo's at his ceiling, but with no first round pick in the draft, Toronto has to find a way to improve this off-season just to keep up with Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia going forward. Whoever we get for the MLE may not be sufficient, unless we get other Euro-steals like AP and Jose. So we NEED the young'uns we have to develop to move forward.

Was I ever annoyed while tuning into TSNs coverage yesterday of the game to see hockey in front of my eyes... but my screams and annoyance quickly turned into shouts of joy as the Leafs got booted from the playoffs !

Props to SMitch for the changes in the second half, that seeled the win. TJ on Gordon, Parker on Hinrich - good stuff to see. Can't believe the team could be a game out of second with a win tonight!!!!

Terrific game by the whole TEAM, AP,CB,Joey & Juan, highlighed by the play of PG's TJ & Jose. Our PG's clearley outplayed Hinrich & Duhon. Looks as though the Bull's run against the Rap's is now over.

Datpiff, 2 games as Cleveland has the tie breaker on us and if we win tonight against MIN, so will Chicago.

Fantastic gift from Charlotte last night. We now have a one game cushion on the Heat for 3rd. The Raptors are coming off of a huge win and need to somehow maintain that focus tonight on the road. It won’t be easy. As good as the win was last night, if we lose tonight, we give it right back. I’d hate to lose the one freebee to MIN with 2 Detroit dates coming up. Miami now heads into Charlotte for a rematch potentially without Posey. Can Charlotte pull off the double play on their home court? I hope so! Posey was arrested for DUI last night. No word yet from the Heat on possible suspensions or whether he will be traveling with the team.

Second will be tough to get to. Even if we win the rest of our games, we need both Cleveland and Chicago to lose to more games this season. Chicago does not have a good road record and has two tough matchups to close out the season on the road, so it could happen. Cleveland however has a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way and I don’t see them losing two more games.

The best case scenario for the Raptors is to hold onto 3rd and hope Cleveland moves back into 2nd. Despite last nights win, the Raps matchup better against Cleveland. I’d rather face them in the 2nd round.

There is an important implication to Detroit’s win last night. It allows them to clinch the East with two wins prior to facing us. This would be huge as they are very much likely to rest their banged up lineup upon clinching. This should hopefully make it a little easier for us when we face them.

It’s clear TSN has zero interest in basketball. They are a hockey network with Wrestling coming in a close second. Basketball is somewhere in back behind auto racing and darts.

Bonehead move of the day: The Fan made a decision not to carry the Raptors game tonight as it conflicts with the Jays game. Instead it will be aired on another station. This is a game that isn’t on regular TV, so the audience would be bigger than normal. What gives? How can they choose an early season Jays game over a playoff push by the Raps? The Raptors are pushing for 2nd best record in the East, what else will it take for the Raptors to get some respect?

Interesting story by Dee Brown about Mitchell for COY http://www.hoopshype.com/columns/coach_brown.htm

Teh way Graham played last night, and the two games prior, I think we should stop calling him Joey. That's a little boy's name. Maybe just Joe Graham. or perhaps a beefy nickname like, Kilo. As in Kilo-Graham?

And if he reverts to playing half-assed again, then we can call him half-a-graham.

The playoffs need to start already, befor ei re-nickname the entire team.

Hey LA, Joey's proper Christian name IS Joey! http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3942. Lets not go into full Sirsk mode and nicknaming everything.

And I am at the point where I have stopped caring about potential matchups in the playoffs. The way the Raps are playing with confidence, and with the big rook on the mend, I don't really care who we take on. Let the games begin, already!

call me crazy

but IQ aside i see a lot of similarities between deng's game and graham's game ...i know its a stretch but plz tell me im not the only one

A lot of writters are stating that maybe Raps would be better off not catching Chicago/Cleaveland for the #2 spot as a Wizards "B" team is an easier match up than the Nets.

While that may be true (and I am somewhat apprehensive of the Nets), I personally think having home court for the second round trumps having an easier 1st round opponent.

And truth be told most betting money would be on the Raps over the Nets anyways.

Any comments?

LA: Kilo-Graham...I love it!

erezona - gotta feel good about a win tonight. wolves need to do some serious losing to hold onto their pick which they only get to keep if it's top ten.

Axl, great insight. Didn't know that. Well, here's hoping we lose the tie breaker to Chicago by winning tonight!

Erezona - Unreal about The Fan, thanks for the update. I guess we should have known better eh? Leafs lose so, "oh well, let's start trumpeting the Jays!" Yeah, forget the fact that the Raps are NUMBER FIVE today on ESPN.com's power rankings, but let's show game 5 of 555 of the MLB season...

PS - Love the Kilo Graham ha ha. I picture someone named Joe Graham wearing a yellow hardhat and carrying a sledge hammer. Maybe all of us should pitch in to get one of each for his locker if he keeps this play up...

OK, Charley Rosen has completely and without any doubt proven he does not know anything about evaluating talent. In his latest rant about the Raptors (http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6654664) he provides the following gem: "Bargnani and Garbajosa have such similar games that one of them is redundant. Playing both at the same time constitutes a severe defensive handicap, and neither will be satisfied with a part-time role. If the decision were mine, I'd keep Garbajosa because his game is more evolved."

They both can hit a 3. By that measure, Nate Robinson and Bargnani have very similar games as well. I wonder if he would think it redundant to have both of them on the floor together?

But I think he really proves his scouting abilities by suggesting that the Raptors, if they had to choose between them, should keep a 29 year old with a broken ankle over a very promising rookie.

He also comments on TJ’s "awful defense". I guess he didn’t take in the 2nd half of yesterday’s game against the Bulls. Must have been happy hour at the local bar.

On Calderon: "his dribble is so hard and so high that he commits too many unacceptable turnovers." I wonder what he would say if we didn’t have the best PG combo in the league?

I guess with the resent success of the Raptors, many in the US media feel it necessary to downplay the team’s success in order to justify the poor outlook they had for the team.

Go have another drink Charley.

thafooz - Joey Graham and Luol Deng are not similar players. Yes, Graham has been playing better as of late. But he still doesn't seem to have that much flow to his game, and seems to take an extra second to decide what to do every time he touches the ball. Deng appears to be severely dangerous every time he touches the ball. He is great to watch, and a major asset to his team. Deng is TROUBLE.

erezona - I'm not following your comment. "lose the tiebreaker...?" huh? I'm missing something...

anyways,
SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES!!!
oops, I mean GO RAPS!!!

If we beat MIN tonight, we lose the tie breaker to Chicago. But I'd rather have more wins than they do.

12 games over .500. Incredible. Here's hoping Detroit clinches before Friday, because you know they're going to rest their lineup if they can. Finishing #2 overall doesn't look that out of the question.

So how's Fred Jones doing? He can't seriously be performing as well as Dixon is. At what point do the rest of the GMs in the league start refusing to even talk to Colangelo?

'Kilo-Graham' totally RULES.

I think we've now seen 3 decent games in a row from him.

If he would just not bite on the first up-fake I'll call off our search for an athletic winger who can play D and occasionally take it to the rack.

Turns out that guy may have been on our bench all along.

While the Wiz would be an easier matchup, I feel the hype and energy of Raps vs Nets would be magnifcent. There would be nothing sweeter than beating Vince.

"Toronto. T.J. Ford, who sat the entire fourth quarter".

Good job by Mitchell to stick with the more composed Calderon throughout the 4th, instead of inserting TJ, cold, with 2 minutes left.

That was superb. I was ecstatic with the play of every Raptor who was on the floor tonight.

Joey Graham? Wow! Stellar, I hope he keeps it up through the playoffs and carries himself this way straight through to next season.

Anthony Parker is a straight up stud. He is a guy that will be expected to step up huge in the playoffs.

And finally, my expectations for the Raps for this "past" season: I expected them to float just above .500 and be the 7th or 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, I am so glad they have proved me wrong.